Fit Gap Analysis

In modern digital transformation, many new and advanced approaches and technologies have emerged to solve business needs and problems. Salesforce, SAP, Dynamics CRM, Power Platform and others are new age business applications developed on standard and best practices that can be easily customized and used in business processes and activities. But the question is whether it is suitable for all types of business. From a rational point of view, this is not correct, therefore, such business applications are designed to adapt to the business process and nature. In scenarios, requirement gathering and fit gap analysis are essential for such advanced business applications.

Requirement gathering is conducted early in the project lifecycle to define stakeholder needs and project scope, while fit-gap analysis occurs afterward to assess the alignment between existing system capabilities and project requirements. Both activities are crucial for ensuring that the final solution meets stakeholders' expectations and business objectives.

According to Microsoft, A Fit Gap analysis identifies the difference between the known requirements and the proposed or current solutions.

Fit gap analysis evaluates how well a software solution aligns with the organization's needs and identifies areas of alignment and misalignment, while requirement gathering focuses on capturing the detailed functional and non-functional requirements of the software solution from stakeholders. Both processes are essential for ensuring the successful implementation and customization of software to meet the organization's needs and objectives.

Current State Assessment (As-Is): This involves thoroughly understanding and documenting the existing system, business processes, functionalities, and requirements. This involves capturing how the current system operates and what features it provides.

Definition of the future state (to be): Defining the desired or target state that the organization wants to achieve with the implementation of new software or processes. This involves determining the requirements, functionalities, and improvements required in the new system.

Identifying the gap: A detailed comparison is made between the current situation (as is) and the desired future situation (to be). This comparison highlights the differences or gaps between what the current system provides and what the organization needs or expects from the new system.

Gap Analysis: Each identified gap is analyzed to understand its nature and significance. This involves classifying gaps based on their impact, importance, complexity, and feasibility of solution.

Solution Plan: Based on the deficiencies identified, a plan is prepared to address them. This plan may include various strategies, such as system optimization, process reengineering, additional development, or even accepting some gaps if they are non-critical.

Decision Making: The organization evaluates possible solutions to overcome deficiencies and takes decisions based on factors such as cost, time, resources and business priorities.

Fit-gap analysis helps organizations:

• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of their current systems or processes.
• Define clear objectives for the future system or process improvements.
• Identify specific areas that need modification or enhancement in the new solution.
• Make informed decisions about the feasibility of implementing new systems or software.
• Develop a roadmap or action plan to bridge the identified gaps.